Vibrators and the like



n 30, 1964 H. ZOLLINGER, JR

VIBRATORS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 19, 1962 FIG.

RE? G HW m ATTORNEYS United States Patent i 3,139,067 VIBRATORS AND THELIKE Henry Zollinger, Jr., Cheshire, Coum, assignor to Electro-Mechanics Inc., New Britain, (105111., a corporation of ConnecticutFiled Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,775 3 Claims. (Cl. 91-232) Thisinvention generally relates to improvements in vibrators and the likeand more particularly to an improved pneumatic vibrator or the likeincorporating a novel port protector for precluding the entry ofextraneous matter into the vibrator.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improvedpneumatic vibrator that will operate under heavy exposure to dust, dirt,sand and other foreign contaminants without being rendered inoperable,or subjected to increased wear, by the entry of such contaminants intothe vibrator mechanism.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel hollowthreaded bolt that may be easily and removably installed in the exhaustports of standard or conventional vibrators and like devices wherein itwill prevent the entry of foreign matter into the operating mechanismwhile at the same time providing for substantially undiminished exhaustof fluid from the device.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide 2f novelhollow threaded bolt for use as a port protector for vibrators and thelike that may be economically manufactured due to the inclusion ofstandard replaceable seals, and is rugged in construction so as toprovide effective service over long periods of use.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vibrator embodyingthe present invention and shown for illustrative purposes in a neutralposition;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the vibrator in one ofits operating positions; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a hollow threaded boltconstructed in accordance with the present invention and shown with afragmental portion of a manifold.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a pneumatic vibra- -tor embodyingthe present invention is shown in FIGS.

1 and 2 as comprising a casing, generally designated 2, having alongitudinal and generally cylindrical chamber 4 and suitable end plugs6 and 8 screwed into the casing and providing stop surfaces 10 and 12 atopposite ends thereof. The end plug 6 is provided with a projection 14having a mounting hole 16 therethrough for mounting the vibrator to anassociated device to be vibrated.

A vibrator piston generally designated 20 is mounted in the chamber forreciprocable movement between positions limited by the stop surfaces 10and 12 of the end plugs 6 and 8. The piston is formed with a pair oflands 27, 29 spaced by a central portion 28, of reduced diameter, whichprovide together with the casing 2 an annular inlet chamber, 31 forreceiving inlet air.

Air, from a suitable source (not shown), for actuating the vibratorpiston 20 is admitted into the inlet chamber 31 through means of aninlet or supply port 22 provided in the casing while the exhausting ofthis air from the chamber takes place through a plurality of outlet orexhaust ports 24, 25 provided in the casing between the inlet port 22and end plugs 6 and 8 respectively. A pair of axial passages 26 areprovided in the internal wall of the casing 2 to establish alternatecommunication with the inlet port 22 and the opposite ends of thechamber 4 as controlled by the piston lands, 27, 29 in a manner to bedescribed.

Operation of the vibrator is as follows: When the vibrator piston 20 isin the position shown in FIG. 2, the right end of the chamber 4 (asviewed in FIG. 2) will be in communication with the inlet port 22through the inlet chamber 31 and the axial passage 26 on the interiorwall of casing 2. The exhaust port 24 will be closed by the piston land29 while the left end of the chamber will be cut off from communicationwith the inlet port 22 by the piston land 27 and the exhaust port 25will communicate with the left end of the chamber 4 for exhausting airtherefrom. As a result, the force on the right end of the piston 20resulting from the inlet air pressure will be greater than the force onthe left end of piston 20 to move the piston 20 in the left direction(as viewed in FIG. 2). Movement of the piston past the neutral position,shown for illustrative purposes in FIG. 1, is provided, as is usual, bythe momentum of the piston. As the piston 20 reaches its left handposition (not shown) as limited by the stop surface 10, the supplyingand exhausting of the air into and from the chamber respectively will bereversed whereby the piston will move back to the position shown in FIG.2.

An exhaust manifold 30 is provided externally on the vibrator casing 2generally at the exhaust side and is secured thereto by means ofattachment screws 32. The manifold 30 is provided with a pair oftransverse bores 34, 36 which form outlet flow passages in respectivecommunication with the outlet ports 24, 25 of the vibrator, and whichare provided with pipe threads 38 for securing the port protectors tothe manifold as will be described. Referring to FIG. 1, the innersurface of the manifold 3%) between the outlet ports 24, 25 and themanifold bores 34, 36, is provided with recesses 40 having therein asuitable 0 ring seal for sealing the manifold.

In accordance with the invention, a hollow threaded bolt, generallydesignated by the numeral 50, is provided in each of the manifold outletpassages 34, 36. Referring to the shown embodiment in FIG. 3. the hollowbolt 50 comprises a generally, tubular body 51 which may be formed fromsteel, aluminum, brass or like metals, and having a closed end 52, anopen end 54, and a longitudinal bore 56 opening into end 54. The shankportion 51 of the bolt 50 generally adjacent end 54, is reduced indiameter and shown as being provided with external pipe threads 57cooperable with the internal pipe threads 38 of the manifold 30 forsecuring the bolt 50 thereto whereby the bore 56 of the body will bepositioned in constant communication with one of the outlet passages 34,36 of the manifold 30 and one of the outlet ports 24, 25 of the vibratorrespectively. The head 58 of the bolt 50 is formed with a hexagonallyshaped portion 59 so as to provide a facilitated gripping surface for atorque applying tool such as a wrench or the like.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the head 58 of the bolt 50 is shown as beingprovided with a pair of external annular recesses or grooves 60separated by an annular ridge 62 and the wall 64 of the bolt is shown asbeing provided with two sets of radially extending exhaust apertures 63with each set lying in the plane of one of the recesses 60 respectively.The exhaust apertures 63 in each set are circumferentially arranged witheach aperture 63 opening into the flow passage 56 and the recess 60.Preferably, the apertures are positioned toward the end 52 of the head53 so that the hexagonally shaped portion 59 is provided substantiallybetween the apertures 63 and the threads 57. This will substantiallyavoid the possibility, occurring during installation of the bolt, thatthe bolt will shear at the structurally weakened, exhaust aperture area.Further in this regard, the end 52 of the head of the bolt is preferablynot hexagonally shaped so as to discourage the application of a Wrenchor the like thereon. A pair of annular resilient seals preferably of therubber ring type shown, are mounted in the recesses 60 and aredimensioned so as to normally close or seal the exhaust apertures 63from the atmosphere.

In operation with the vibrator, when the outlet ports 24, 25 of thevibrator are alternatively exhausting air, as described above, the 0rings will alternately expand in response to the pressure of the airbeing exhausted from the associated chamber to open the exhaustapertures 63 of the hollow bolt to thereby permit the escape of theexhausted air into the atmosphere. However, when the pressure in thebore of the hollow bolt is reduced upon reversal of the air pressurecondition in the vibrator, the 0 rings will contract or return to theirnormal or unpressurized position to positively close the exhaustapertures.

Thus it will be seen that the present invention provides an improvedvibrator incorporating a novel hollow threaded bolt that willeifectively prevent entry of foreign matter into the vibrator operatingchamber but will nevertheless permit escape of exhaust air into theatmosphere in virtually undiminished quantity and without impairing thenormal operation of the vibrator.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modificationsand adaptations of the structure above described will become readilyapparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vibrator including a casing having a chambertherein and a reciprocable piston mounted in the chamber for slidablemovement, the casing having a supply port and passages for admittingwork fluid into the chamber for reciprocating the piston and having aplurality of exhaust ports for exhausting the work fluid; an exhaustmanifold removably mounted to the casing and having a plurality ofpassages in communication with the exhaust ports respectively of thevibrator; a port protector comprising a generally tubular body mountedin each of the passages of the manifold and having a flow passage incommunication with the manifold passages and the exhaust ports of thevibrator, the body having at least one set of annularly arrangedapertures communicating with said flow passage in the body and adaptedto communicate with the atmosphere, and a resilient O ring mounted andpositioned on the body to normally close said exhaust apertures and toexpand in response to fluid pressure to thereby open the apertures andpermit the escape of exhaust fluid into the atmosphere.

2. In combination with a vibrator including a casing having a chambertherein and an inlet port and at least one outlet port communicatingwith the chamber, and a flow control member mounted in the chamber andadapted to control flow between the inlet and outlet ports; a portprotector for the outlet port comprising a generally tubular bodymounted to the casing adjacent the outlet port and having a flow passagein communication with the outlet port, the body having at least oneradially extending exhaust aperture therethrough communicating with saidflow passage and adapted to be placed in communication with theatmosphere, and a resilient O ring mounted and positioned on the body tonormally close said exhaust aperture and to open the aperture inresponse to the pressure of exhausting fluid to thereby permit theescape of the exhaust fluid into the atmosphere.

3. A vibrator comprising a casing including a chamber having areciprocable piston mounted therein for slideable movement, said casinghaving a supply port and passages for admitting work fluid into thechamber for reciprocating the piston and having a plurality of exhaustports for exhausting the work fluid from the chamber, an exhaustmanifold removably mounted to the casing and having a plurality ofthreaded passages in respective communication with the exhaust ports, aport protector in each of the passages of the manifold comprising ahollow tubular body having an open end in communication with themanifold passage, an opposite circular closed end and a longitudinalflow passage extending between the ends thereof, said body havingexternal threads generally at the open end thereof received in thethreads of the associated passage of the manifold thereby securing theport protector thereto, an intermediate eternal polygonal shaped portionand an annular external recess in the body generally at the closed endthereof, a plurality of radial apertures in the body having oppositeends respectively opening into the passage in the body and the annularrecess, a resilient O-ring mounted on the body in the recess and beingdimensioned to normally close the apertures and to expand in response tofluid pressure in the flow passage of the protector body to therebypermit the escape of fluid from the flow passage into the atmosphere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS538,433 Schmidt Apr. 30, 1895 2,030,936 Pickop Feb. 18, 1936 2,128,742Fuehrer Aug. 30, 1938 2,166,218 Morrison July 18, 1939 2,401,190Reynolds May 28, 1946 2,480,603 Peterson Aug. 30, 1949 2,787,251 BeckerApr. 2, 1957 2,859,733 Bassinger et al. Nov. 11, 1958 2,884,901 Chandleret al. May 5, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 541,231 Canada May 21, 1957 455,190France July 24, 1913 3,969 Switzerland Aug. 4 1891

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VIBRATOR INCLUDING A CASING HAVING A CHAMBERTHEREIN AND A RECIPROCABLE PISTON MOUNTED IN THE CHAMBER FOR SLIDABLEMOVEMENT, THE CASING HAVING A SUPPLY PORT AND PASSAGES FOR ADMITTINGWORK FLUID INTO THE CHAMBER FOR RECIPROCATING THE PISTON AND HAVING APLURALITY OF EXHAUST PORTS FOR EXHAUSTING THE WORK FLUID; AN EXHAUSTMANIFOLD REMOVABLY MOUNTED TO THE CASING AND HAVING A PLURALITY OFPASSAGES IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE EXHAUST PORTS RESPECTIVELY OF THEVIBRATOR; A PORT PROTECTOR COMPRISING A GENERALLY TUBULAR BODY MOUNTEDIN EACH OF THE PASSAGES OF THE MANIFOLD AND HAVING A FLOW PASSAGE INCOMMUNICATION WITH THE MANIFOLD PASSAGES AND THE EXHAUST PORTS OF THEVIBRATOR, THE BODY HAVING AT LEAST ONE SET OF ANNULARLY ARRANGEDAPERTURES COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FLOW PASSAGE IN THE BODY AND ADAPTEDTO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ATMOSPHERE, AND A RESILIENT O RING MOUNTED ANDPOSITIONED ON THE BODY TO NORMALLY CLOSE SAID EXHAUST APERTURES AND TOEXPAND IN RESPONSE TO FLUID PRESSURE TO THEREBY OPEN THE APERTURES ANDPERMIT THE ESCAPE OF EXHAUST FLUID INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.